Sweden – European Sanctions Enforcement

April 6, 2026April 6, 2026 by Mark Handley

Sweden – sanctioned (and suspected of leaking) tanker seized (and released)

On Friday 3 April, the Swedish Coast Guard boarded and seized control of the sanctioned “shadow fleet” tanker the Flora 1. The vessel is suspected of having caused a 12 km (8 mile) oil spill in the Baltic Sea near the island of Gotland.

The vessel was then anchored off Ystad.

The Coast Guard’s press release states that the vessel’s flag status is uncertain, and states that “this is the first time we have been able to trace a discharge to a vessel subject to sanctions, and which may be suspected of environmental crimes”.

We have updated our vessel seizure tracker.

The vessel has since been released, with the Coast Guard citing a lack of evidence linking the vessel to the oil spill, and that the Coast Guard had been able to confirm the flag status of the vessel.

March 26, 2026March 26, 2026 by Mark Handley

Sweden – raids on “large company” and two arrests in sanctions investigation

Sweden’s Public Prosecutor has issued a press release making public raids conducted this morning at the premises of an unnamed “large company” in Sundsvall.

Two unnamed “people in senior positions” have also been arrested on suspicion of aggravated sanctions violations.

The press release does not include information on the suspected breaches.

Given the web links to information on Sweden’s Russian sanctions included in the press release, the investigation is very likely to relate to suspected breaches of the EU’s Russian sanctions.

March 16, 2026March 16, 2026 by Mark Handley

Sweden – shadow fleet oil tanker seized and captain arrested

On Thursday the Swedish authorities seized the oil tanker the Sea Owl I, in Swedish water.

The vessel was claiming to be flagged in the Comorros, but the authorities are alleging that the paperwork was forged.

It is also being reported that the crew has been questioned by the Swedish Prosecution Authority and that captain of the vessel has been arrested and has been ordered to be held in custody pending further investigations.

This is the second vessel seized by Sweden in as many weeks.

March 9, 2026March 9, 2026 by Mark Handley

Sweden – seizure of cargo vessel for false flag failings

On Saturday Swedish authorities took control of the cargo vessel, Caffa. Video of the seizure has been released.

It is being reported that the authorities suspect that the vessel, carrying a cargo of grain, may have been sailing under a false Guinean flag.

A Russian national crew member has been arrested on suspicion of using false documents.

February 23, 2026February 24, 2026 by Mark Handley

Sweden – closed criminal investigation into alleged Russian funds transfers

Press reporting of a civil dispute between Sweden’s SEB Bank and certain Russian customers associated with Olga Pavlova, the Vice-Chair of Gazprom, and relating to attempts to transfer SEK 60 million, has revealed that the same transfers had been the subject of now-concluded a preliminary criminal investigation in Sweden.

It is unclear when the investigation took place, or the basis for the conclusion that no crime had been committed.

February 18, 2026February 18, 2026 by Mark Handley

Sweden – man arrested for possible extradition to face US sanctions charges

It is being reported that Sweden’s Security Service, Säpo, conducted an operation in December involving raiding premises in Stockholm and arresting a Russian national for potential extradition to the US to face charges of breaching the US sanctions against Russia.

The Stockholm District Court has ordered the man’s detention pending extradition proceedings.

The alleged conduct is said to have taken place in 2022 and 2023 but no further details are available.

December 23, 2025March 3, 2026 by Mark Handley

Sweden – Customs board distressed Russian vessel in Swedish waters

After a Russian vessel had engine trouble and entered Swedish territorial waters, Swedish Customs boarded the vessel and commenced an investigation into whether possible sanctions or export control offences may have been committed.

The vessel, the Adler, is designated under EU sanctions, and the owner sanctioned by the US. It is reported that the cargo included arms and military equipment.

It is now being reported that the vessel has been allowed to depart Swedish waters, after the Prosecutor’s Office declined to open a criminal investigation, on the basis that there was no intent to bring the vessel or its goods into Sweden.

November 20, 2025November 20, 2025 by Mark Handley

Sweden – Swedish Customs sanctions enforcement

The Swedish Police have issued a report on sanctions compliance in the country, concluding that trade flows to countries neighbouring Russia suggests Swedish involvement in the circumvention of the EU’s sanctions.

In relation to the work of Swedish customs, the report noted that in 2023 more than 200 export shipments were stopped, and that 3,000 export declarations in 2024 were “subject to special review measures”.

The press release to the report notes that “a handful of preliminary investigations [are] underway regarding sanctions violations at the Police Authority and at Swedish Customs”.

The report also highlights an earlier 2024 report by the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority on the outcome of its review of the sanctions screening processes and methodologies of 19 banks operating in Sweden. The report noted that none of the banks assessed had good enough automatic screening in place, but that the larger banks were better at screening than the small and medium sized banks.

June 11, 2025June 11, 2025 by Mark Handley

Sweden, Estonia and Lithuania: investigations opened into funding provided by Russian designated person

Further to our earlier post regarding an investigation in Latvia into the activities of the designated Russian state entity “Pravfond”, it has now been reported that a number of other investigations are ongoing in relation to this entity’s activities:

1) An investigation has been commenced in Sweden in relation to a school that had associations with Pravfond;

2) In Estonia a multiple investigations (by the criminal authorities and the bar association) have been opened in relation to lawyers who accepted funds from Pravfond; and

3) In Lithuania a criminal investigation has been opened (as well as one by the bar association) into lawyers who took funds from Pravfond.

October 24, 2024October 24, 2024 by Mark Handley

Sweden – three Russian sanctions investigations in 2024

It is being reported that the Swedish authorities have commenced three preliminary investigations into possible Russian sanctions breaches during 2024.

No other information has been made public, but the investigations appear to relate to trade sanctions.